Year of the Monkey: Years, Traits and What the Monkey Year Brings

If you were born in a Monkey year, you belong to one of the liveliest minds in the cycle. The Monkey is admired for quick thinking, a playful sense of humor and a talent for finding a way through problems that stump everyone else.

New to the system as a whole? Our guide to Chinese astrology covers the basics. Then come back here for everything about the Monkey.

The Monkey in Chinese Astrology

The Chinese zodiac is called Shēngxiào (生肖). It follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, not the Western calendar, and it's built on the older system of Tiāngān Dìzhī (天干地支), the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Each animal matches one of the twelve Earthly Branches. The Monkey belongs to the ninth branch, 申 (shēn). That branch also names a double hour of the traditional day, 3 to 5 p.m., the hour of the Monkey.

The Monkey comes after the Goat and before the Rooster. You can see all twelve together in our guide to the Chinese zodiac signs.

The Monkey in the Great Race

According to legend, the Jade Emperor, Yùhuáng Dàdì (玉皇大帝), called the animals to a race across a wide river, and the order they finished would set the order of the years. In many tellings, the Monkey, the Goat and the Rooster crossed together. The Rooster found a raft, and the Monkey and the Goat cleared away the weeds and pulled it through the water. They reached the bank as a team, with the Goat eighth, the Monkey ninth and the Rooster tenth.

It's a folk tale with many versions, not history. But it suits the Monkey well: clever, practical, and smart enough to know when teamwork gets you further.

Sūn Wùkōng, the Monkey King

No monkey in Chinese culture is more famous than Sūn Wùkōng (孙悟空), the Monkey King. He's the hero of Journey to the West, Xīyóujì (西游记), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, published in the 16th century and usually credited to Wú Chéng'ēn (吴承恩).

In the novel, Sūn Wùkōng is born from a stone, masters magical arts, causes chaos in heaven, and later protects the monk Táng Sānzàng (唐三藏), based on the real pilgrim Xuánzàng (玄奘), on his long pilgrimage to bring Buddhist scriptures back from India. He's brilliant, mischievous, brave and fiercely loyal once he commits. Generations of readers, opera lovers and filmgoers have grown up with him, and many people see a little of him in the Monkey sign.

Year of the Monkey Birth Years and Exact Dates

Here are the Monkey years from 1932 to 2016.

Born in January or early February? Check the dates carefully. The animal year begins at Lunar New Year, Chūnjié (春节), the Spring Festival, which falls between January 21 and February 20. Someone born on January 20, 2017 is still a Monkey, because the 2016 Monkey year ran until January 27, 2017. Someone born on February 10, 1980 is not a Monkey, because the 1980 Monkey year didn't begin until February 16.

Practitioners of Bāzì (八字), the Four Pillars birth chart, use Lìchūn (立春), the start of spring around February 4, as the year boundary instead. If your birthday falls near either date, it may be placed differently.

Monkey Personality: Traditional Traits

These are traditional associations. They describe tendencies, not fate. Your full chart, your life story and your own choices shape who you are far more than any one sign.

Strengths

The Monkey is clever, curious and quick on her feet. She learns fast, loves a puzzle and often sees a creative solution while others are still describing the problem. She's funny, sociable and full of ideas, and she brings energy to any room she walks into.

Challenges

A mind that moves this fast can get restless. A Monkey may lose interest once the challenge is solved, take on too many projects at once, or use humor to dodge a serious conversation. Her growth often comes from following through and letting people see her softer side.

In Love

In love, the Monkey is playful, affectionate and fun. She wants a partner who can keep up with her mind and make her laugh, and she gets bored if things become too routine. Once she feels understood, she's warm and generous. Our Chinese zodiac compatibility guides are coming soon.

At Work

At work, the Monkey does well in roles that reward quick thinking and invention: technology, marketing, media, sales, entrepreneurship, teaching, anything with variety and problems to solve. For men born in Monkey years, the same gifts often show up as tactical problem solving and social intelligence, reading people quickly, adapting on the fly and finding the angle no one else noticed.

As a Friend

As a friend, the Monkey is the one with the plan, the joke and the clever fix. She's great company, and when you're in a jam, she's often the first to think of a way out.

The Monkey's Fixed Element and Yin Yang Nature

Each animal has a fixed, or native, element that never changes. The Monkey's fixed element is Metal (金). Metal brings sharpness, precision and resolve, which suits the Monkey's quick, clear mind.

This is different from the year element, which changes with each Monkey year. The five elements, called Wǔxíng (五行), are Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金) and Water (水). They're also called the five phases, because each one turns into the next.

In yin and yang (阴阳), the Monkey is a yang animal, and every Monkey year is a yang year. The 60 year cycle pairs the 10 Heavenly Stems with the 12 Earthly Branches. The stem gives the year its element, and yin and yang alternate year by year. Because the Monkey's branch is yang, it only pairs with the five yang stems, giving five kinds of Monkey. Our guide to the Chinese zodiac elements explains the whole cycle.

The Five Element Monkeys

The elements relate through two cycles. In the generating cycle, xiāngshēng (相生), Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, and Water nourishes Wood. In the controlling cycle, xiāngkè (相克), each element keeps another in check. Here's how each year element meets the Monkey's native Metal.

Wood Monkey (1944, 2004)

Metal cuts Wood, so this Monkey's sharp mind shapes everything it touches. The Wood Monkey tends to be curious, imaginative and principled, with a talent for turning ideas into something real.

Fire Monkey (1956, 2016)

Fire controls Metal, the way a forge shapes it. The Fire Monkey is often energetic, confident and competitive, with a big personality and a strong drive to lead.

Earth Monkey (1968)

Earth bears Metal, so the year element feeds the Monkey's own. The Earth Monkey tends to be steadier and more patient than other Monkeys, reliable and thoughtful, with practical brilliance.

Metal Monkey (1980)

Year element and fixed element match, so this is the Monkey at her sharpest. The Metal Monkey is often independent, determined and highly capable, with strong opinions and a gift for strategy.

Water Monkey (1932, 1992)

Metal carries Water, so this Monkey's cleverness flows outward. The Water Monkey tends to be perceptive, adaptable and diplomatic, good at understanding people and getting along with almost anyone.

What Kind of Year Is a Monkey Year?

A Monkey year brings quick, inventive energy for everyone, not just people born under it. Traditionally it's seen as a season for fresh ideas, flexibility and creative problem solving. It's a good year to learn a new skill, try a different approach to an old problem, or say yes to an unexpected opportunity.

Monkey energy favors the curious and the adaptable. Plans may shift, so staying light on your feet helps.

The flavor changes with the element. A Fire Monkey year like 2016 leaned toward boldness and drive. The coming Earth Monkey year, which begins on January 26, 2028, leans toward practical, grounded progress. This describes a season, not a sentence. You stay in charge of what you do with it.

If you'd like to look at how a Monkey year, or any year, touches your own life, a reading can look at your personal chart and situation, not just your animal.

Your Own Monkey Year: Běnmìngnián

When your animal returns in the twelve year cycle, that year is your Běnmìngnián (本命年). In Chinese tradition, your own animal year is said to put you at odds with Tài Suì (太岁), the deity associated with the current year, so it's traditionally treated as a year to take extra care.

Many people wear red during their Běnmìngnián as a protective custom, such as red socks, red underwear or a red string bracelet, often given by a parent or relative. It's a practice many families keep, a small, loving way of watching out for each other.

In our view, your Monkey year is best treated as a season to be thoughtful and grounded. For a sign that loves to move fast, it's a good time to slow down a little, finish what matters most, look after your relationships and think big choices through before you leap.

The Most Recent Monkey Year and the Next One

The most recent Monkey year was the Fire Monkey year, 丙申 (bǐngshēn), which ran from February 8, 2016 to January 27, 2017. The next Monkey year is the Earth Monkey, 戊申 (wùshēn), which begins on January 26, 2028 and runs to February 12, 2029.

Before that comes the 2027 Fire Goat year. For what it holds for Monkeys and every other animal, see our Chinese New Year 2027 forecast. If you'd like to see how your Monkey sign sits beside your Western birth chart, our guide to Chinese zodiac and Western astrology looks at the two side by side. You'll find more in our astrology collection.

Year of the Monkey FAQ

What years are the Year of the Monkey?
Recent Monkey years are 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 and 2016, and the next one is 2028. Each begins at Lunar New Year, not January 1, so check the exact date if you were born in January or February. The 2016 Monkey year ran from February 8, 2016 to January 27, 2017.

When is the next Year of the Monkey?
The next Monkey year is the Earth Monkey year, 戊申, which begins on January 26, 2028 and ends on February 12, 2029. It follows the 2027 Fire Goat year. Babies born between those two dates will be Earth Monkeys, and anyone born in January 2028 before the 26th will still be a Goat.

What does the Monkey symbolize in Chinese culture?
In Chinese tradition the Monkey is linked with cleverness, curiosity, wit and resourcefulness. Its most famous figure is Sūn Wùkōng, the Monkey King of the classic novel Journey to the West, a brilliant, mischievous and loyal hero who many people still see as the spirit of the sign.

What element is the Monkey?
The Monkey's fixed, or native, element is Metal. Each Monkey year also carries a year element from the Heavenly Stem: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. So someone born in 1992 is a Water Monkey, while someone born in 1980 is a Metal Monkey, with Metal as both her fixed and year element.

Was 2016 a Fire Monkey year?
Yes. The 2016 Monkey year, 丙申, was a Fire Monkey year. It began on February 8, 2016 and ended on January 27, 2017. Someone born on February 1, 2016, before Lunar New Year, belongs to the 2015 Wood Goat year instead, so always check the exact date.

Who is the Monkey King?
The Monkey King, Sūn Wùkōng, is the hero of Journey to the West, a 16th century novel usually credited to Wú Chéng'ēn. Born from a stone, he rebels against heaven, then guards the monk Táng Sānzàng on a long pilgrimage. He's one of the most loved characters in Chinese literature.